Method and apparatus for ranking a customer using dynamically generated external data

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for ranking a potential customer. In one embodiment, external data associated with the potential customer is processed in a set of data models to generate a set of risk assessment factors for the potential customer. The external data comprises dynamic customer data elements generated in real-time as the potential customer is approaching a retail facility. The potential customer is ranked based on the risk assessment factors. The ranking indicates whether the potential customer poses a possible risk to the retail facility. In response to the ranking indicating that the potential customer poses the possible risk, actions are initiated to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility.

1 . A computer implemented method for ranking a potential customer, the computer implemented method comprising:
 processing external data associated with the potential customer in a set of data models to generate a set of risk assessment factors for the potential customer, wherein the external data comprises dynamic customer data elements generated in real-time as the potential customer is approaching a retail facility;   ranking the potential customer based on the risk assessment factors, wherein the ranking indicates whether the potential customer poses a possible risk to the retail facility; and   responsive to the ranking indicating that the potential customer poses the possible risk, initiating actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving data associated with the potential customer from a set of detectors located externally to a retail facility to form detection data, wherein the set of detectors comprises a set of cameras, and wherein the data comprises video images of the customer captured in a continuous stream; and   automatically processing the detection data associated with the potential customer, by an analysis server, to form the external data.   
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the potential threat posed by the customer to the retail facility includes at least one of shoplifting, stealing from other customers or employees, committing theft from the store or other customers, frivolous litigation against the retail facility, committing violence on employees, other customers, or self-inflicted violence, failing to pay bills, defaulting on loans, disrupting operations of the retail facility, criminal activities, threatening customers, panhandling, and loitering. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 performing the actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility, wherein the actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility includes at least one of shining a bright light in an area occupied by the potential customer, shining a red light on an area occupied by the potential customer, playing loud music on a speaker, alerting store security of the presence of the potential customer, alerting police of the presence of the potential customer, locking a set of doors associated with the retail facility, sound a siren, sound an alarm, flashing lights in a parking lot of the retail facility, flashing lights in an entry of the retail facility, and displaying a warning message on a display device located outside the retail facility.   
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein analyzing the external data to generate a risk assessment score for the customer further comprises:
 processing the risk assessment factors in a set of data models to generate weighted risk assessment factors, wherein the set of data models are generated using at least one of a statistical method, a data mining method, a causal model, a mathematical model, a marketing model, a behavioral model, a psychological model, a sociological model, or a simulation model; and   generating the ranking based on the weighted risk assessment factors, wherein the ranking is a risk assessment score.   
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 analyzing the external data in a set of data models to form customer event data, wherein the customer event data comprises metadata describing events associated with the potential customer located outside the retail facility, actions taken by the potential customer, and an appearance of the potential customer;   retrieving a customer profile, wherein the customer profile comprises static customer data elements; and   generating the ranking using the customer event data and the static customer data elements.   
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the external data includes data captured by at least one of a set of motion detectors, a set of thermal sensors, a set of sound detection devices, a set of pressure sensors, a set of odor detection devices, and a set of radio frequency identification tag readers. 
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the external data comprises grouping data for the customer, wherein the grouping data identifies a grouping category for the customer, and wherein the grouping category is selected from a group consisting of parents with children, teenagers, children, minors unaccompanied by adults, minors accompanied by adults, grandparents with grandchildren, senior citizens, couples, friends, coworkers, a customer shopping with a pet, and a customer shopping alone, and further comprising:
 assigning a group rank to the group associated with the customer, wherein the group rank indicates whether the group poses a potential risk to the retail facility; and   responsive to the group rank indicating that the group poses a potential risk to the retail facility, initiating actions to deter the group from entering the retail facility.   
     
     
         9 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  wherein the external data comprises data associated with a vehicle and further comprising:
 identifying the potential customer using the data associated with the vehicle, wherein the data associated with the vehicle comprises at least one of a make of the vehicle, a model of the vehicle, a year of the vehicle, a color of the vehicle, customized features of the vehicle, and a license plate number of the vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 performing a facial recognition analysis on a set of camera images of the potential customer to form customer identification data, wherein the risk assessment factors comprises risk assessment factors generated based on the identity of the potential customer.   
     
     
         11 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 responsive to the ranking exceeding an upper threshold, identifying the potential customer as a highly desirable customer, wherein aggressive marketing content is directed towards the highly desirable customer; and   responsive to the ranking exceeding a lower threshold and falling below an upper threshold, identifying the potential customer as a moderate customer, wherein moderate marketing content is directed towards the moderate customer.   
     
     
         12 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 creating a negative ambiance in an area outside the retail facility occupied by the potential customer, wherein creating the negative ambiance is accomplished by performing at least one of shining bright lights in the area, playing subliminal messages over a sound system, wherein the subliminal messages encourage the undesirable customer to leave, playing music over a sound system, wherein the music is designed to encourage the potential customer to leave.   
     
     
         13 . A computer program product comprising:
 a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for ranking a potential customer, said computer program product comprising:   computer usable program code for processing external data associated with the potential customer in a set of data models to generate a set of risk assessment factors for the potential customer, wherein the external data comprises dynamic customer data elements generated in real-time as the potential customer is approaching a retail facility;   computer usable program code for ranking the potential customer based on the risk assessment factors, wherein the ranking indicates whether the potential customer poses the possible risk to the retail facility; and   computer usable program code for initiating actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility in response to the ranking indicating that the potential customer poses the possible risk.   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the potential threat posed by the customer to the retail facility includes at least one of shoplifting, stealing from other customers or employees, committing theft from the store or other customers, frivolous litigation against the retail facility, committing violence on employees, other customers, or self-inflicted violence, failing to pay bills, defaulting on loans, disrupting operations of the retail facility, criminal activities, threatening customers, panhandling, and loitering. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility includes at least one of shining a bright light in an area occupied by the potential customer, shining a red light on an area occupied by the potential customer, playing loud music on a speaker, alerting store security of the presence of the potential customer, alerting police of the presence of the potential customer, locking a set of doors associated with the retail facility, sound a siren, sound an alarm, flashing lights in a parking lot of the retail facility, and flashing lights in an entry of the retail facility. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein analyzing the external data to generate a risk assessment score for the customer further comprises:
 computer usable program code for processing the risk assessment factors in a set of data models to generate weighted risk assessment factors, wherein the set of data models are generated using at least one of a statistical method, a data mining method, a causal model, a mathematical model, a marketing model, a behavioral model, a psychological model, a sociological model, or a simulation model; and   computer usable program code for generating the ranking based on the weighted risk assessment factors, wherein the ranking is a risk assessment score.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 13  further comprising:
 computer usable program code for analyzing the external data in a set of data models to form customer event data, wherein the customer event data comprises metadata describing events associated with the potential customer located outside the retail facility, actions taken by the potential customer, and an appearance of the potential customer;   computer usable program code for retrieving a customer profile, wherein the customer profile comprises static customer data elements; and   computer usable program code for generating the ranking using the customer event data and the static customer data elements.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the external data includes data captured by at least one of a set of motion detectors, a set of thermal sensors, a set of sound detection devices, a set of pressure sensors, a set of odor detection devices, and a set of radio frequency identification tag readers. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the external data comprises grouping data for the customer, wherein the grouping data identifies a grouping category for the customer, and wherein the grouping category is selected from a group consisting of parents with children, teenagers, children, minors unaccompanied by adults, minors accompanied by adults, grandparents with grandchildren, senior citizens, couples, friends, coworkers, a customer shopping with a pet, and a customer shopping alone, and further comprising:
 computer usable program code for assigning a group rank to the group associated with the customer, wherein the group rank indicates whether the group poses a potential risk to the retail facility; and   computer usable program code for initiating actions to deter the group from entering the retail facility in response to the group rank indicating that the group poses a potential risk to the retail facility.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the external data comprises data associated with a vehicle and further comprising:
 computer usable program code for identifying the potential customer using the data associated with the vehicle, wherein the data associated with the vehicle comprises at least one of a make of the vehicle, a model of the vehicle, a year of the vehicle, a color of the vehicle, customized features of the vehicle, and a license plate number of the vehicle.   
     
     
         21 . A data processing system for ranking a potential customer, the data processing system comprising:
 a bus system;   a communications system connected to the bus system;   a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and   a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to process external data associated with the potential customer in a set of data models to generate a set of risk assessment factors for the potential customer, wherein the external data comprises dynamic customer data elements generated in real-time as the potential customer is approaching a retail facility; rank the potential customer based on the risk assessment factors, wherein the ranking indicates whether the potential customer poses a possible risk to the retail facility; and initiate actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility in response to the ranking indicating that the potential customer poses the possible risk.   
     
     
         22 . The data processing system of  claim 21  wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to create a negative ambiance in an area outside the retail facility occupied by the potential customer, wherein creating the negative ambiance is accomplished by performing at least one of shining bright lights in the area, playing subliminal messages over a sound system, wherein the subliminal messages encourage the undesirable customer to leave, playing music over a sound system, wherein the music is designed to encourage the potential customer to leave. 
     
     
         23 . A system for ranking a potential customer, the system comprising:
 an analysis server, wherein the analysis server processes external data associated with the potential customer in a set of data models to generate a set of risk assessment factors for the potential customer, wherein the external data comprises dynamic customer data elements generated in real-time as the potential customer is approaching a retail facility, and wherein the analysis server further comprises:
 a risk assessment engine, wherein the risk assessment engine ranks the potential customer based on the risk assessment factors, wherein the ranking indicates whether the potential customer poses a possible risk to the retail facility; and 
 a disincentives generating engine, wherein the disincentives generating engine initiates actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility in response to the ranking indicating that the potential customer poses the possible risk. 
   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 24  further comprising:
 a set of speakers, wherein the speakers perform the actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility, wherein the actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility includes at least one of playing loud music on a speaker, alerting store security of the presence of the potential customer, sounding a siren, sounding an alarm, and playing a high pitched buzzer sound.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23  further comprising:
 a set of lights, wherein the set of lights perform the actions to deter the potential customer from entering the retail facility, wherein the actions include at least one of shining a bright light in an area outside the retail facility occupied by the potential customer, shining a red light on an area occupied by the potential customer, flashing at least one light, increasing a lighting level, decreasing a lighting level, and changing a number of lights emitting light in the set of lights to change a lighting level.